Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran believes all the things is prepared for an alternate.
Tehran, Iran – Iran’s international minister has signalled that an alternate of prisoners with the US might occur quickly after an preliminary settlement has been reached on the long-standing situation.
“We reached an settlement prior to now few days and if all the things goes properly on the American facet, I believe we’ll witness a prisoner alternate within the brief time period,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated in an interview with state tv on Sunday.
“An settlement was signed between us and the American facet throughout oblique talks in March final 12 months, however the grounds to implement it have now been ready. In our standpoint, all the things is prepared. The American facet is engaged in its personal ultimate technical coordinations.”
The highest diplomat’s feedback come as his deputy, Ali Bagheri Kani, who can be the nation’s prime nuclear negotiator, has travelled to Oman – which has acted as a mediator between Tehran and Washington on prisoner alternate talks.
In October, 85-year-old Iranian-American Baquer Namazi left Iran onboard a Royal Air Force of Oman jet after Tehran determined to free him because of poor well being.
His son, Siamak Namazi, is one in every of three identified US prisoners left behind bars in Iran, the place all of them have been arrested on espionage costs.
Earlier this week, Namazi had an interview with US outlet CNN from inside the Evin prison in Tehran, and straight implored US President Joe Biden to safe his launch, together with that of 58-year-old businessman Emad Sharghi and 67-year-old environmentalist Morad Tahbaz – who additionally holds British nationality.
“I stay deeply nervous that the White Home simply doesn’t respect how dire our scenario has turn into,” he stated.
Namazi, who has been imprisoned for greater than seven years, had written the same letter to Biden and went on a week-long starvation strike in January to enchantment for a prisoner swap deal.
Neither facet has confirmed particulars of a possible settlement, however it’s believed that along with the discharge of an unknown variety of Iranian prisoners within the US, $7bn of Iranian cash frozen by South Korea because of US sanctions is also launched.
The swap deal had been beforehand linked with now-deadlocked talks to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear cope with world powers – a pact Washington unilaterally deserted in 2018.
Iran has repeatedly blamed the US for a delay in each the prisoner alternate and nuclear deal talks, one thing Washington has rejected.
Amir-Abdollahian stated on Sunday that Iran believes an settlement on the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA), because the nuclear deal is formally identified, is “inside attain”, however Tehran needs ongoing issues with the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA) resolved as a “purple line” it won’t cross.
The US has maintained that the nuclear talks are at present not a precedence because it accuses Tehran of supplying armed drones to Russia for the battle in Ukraine, and has denounced Iranian officers for cracking down on nationwide protests that started in September.
